Wind-engine



(Model.)

- A. THOMSON.

a WIND'ENGINE. No. 252,912. Patented Jan. 31,1882.

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Unrrnn Siemens 'AreNr Frics.

ALEXANDER THOMSON, OF AMES, IOWA.

WlND EN GINE. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 25.2,912, dated January31, 1882.

Application filed J'anuary i t, 1881. (ModoL) Io all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER THOMSON, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Ames, in the county of Story and State ot' Iowa,have invented certain new and uscful Improvements in Wind-Engines; and Ido hereby declare. the following to be a i'ull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in thcart to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference bein ghadtothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which forma part ot'this specication.

Figure 1 is a fl'Ollb'QiCVltiOll of a wind-engine providedwith myimproved governor. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the'same. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of thc parts comprising the governor. Fig. 4 is aperspective view ot' the main or governor vane, showing the attachedmechanism for operating the same; and Fi 5 is a view of thcvane-carrying bar or arm.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in the several drawings.

Oonsiderable trouble and annoyance have been experienced by owners andusers of windengines by the variable power exorted by such engines, suchva'riable force or power being caused by the wind-wheel attached to suchengines presenting at all timesits entire front surl'acetothewind,irrespectiveofthet'oreeexerted by the wind at such time. Thuswind-engines unprovided with means by which the extent of surface of thewind-wheel may be regulated with regard to the force of the wind are, asa rule, unreliable and untrustworthy for the rea son set forth above.

To remedy the above-named defect, and at the same time to provide acheap, simple, and durable governor for wind-engines, has been theobject of the present invention; and to this end it consists n asuitable main or governor vane attached by pivoted hearings to a barextending from side to sido across the shaftbearing head of thewind-wheel, and secured thereto, and iu the means employed to make suchmain or governor vane automatic in its movements, as hereinafterdescribed.

It further consists in certain novel mechanism whereby the wind-wheelmay be made to present more or less of its face to the wind, as

hereinafter set forth; and, iinally, it consists in the construction andoperation of the various parts as a whole, substantially as hereinafterset forth. l

lieferring to the drawings, A is a wind-wheel, B the revolvingshaft-bearing head or turn table, O the shat'tjuurnaled in such hend,and D the frame, all ot' which are constructed in the usual form ofwind-engines as heretofore employed.

To one side of the. head B, I secure a suitable trnssed bar, E, the saidbar extending horizontally in the same plane as-the wind-wheel, and oflength about equal to the diameter of said wheel. I

To one end of the bnrE, I secure a bar or arm, F, the said baror arm Fbeing secured to the trnssed bar E by staplesf, and extending outwardlyto some distance from E, the outer end of the arm F terminating in adownward yprojecting portion,f as shown.

Gr represents a vane pivoted hy suitable bearings, g, to the arm F, thenormal position of the said vane being the horizontal plane, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. To insure said horizontal plane being normally retained"by the vane G, I providethe latter at each of its faces withoutwardly-projecting arms H H at right angles totheplanes ofsaid faces.To the lower bar, I-I,.I alx an adjustable weight, h. lprovi'de the barI-l' with a small vane, h', the object ot' which vane It' will behereinafter fully explained.

I represents a stop projecting from the under side of the vane G andoperating, in conjunction with the stopf', to liuiitthe' movement of thevane, as will be readily understood.

Upon the upper surface ot' the bar E, I provide an upwardly-projectingstandard, J, to which I pivot a lever, K, the outer end of which leveris connected to the vane G by a cord or chain, 70, while a cord, 79',extends to the ground from the opposite end of the lever, whereby thevane may berotated, th us presenting greater or less extent ot' surfaceto the wind, as desired.

In order to balance the pressure of the wind against the ends of the barE, I provide the end of the said bar opposite to the Vane Gr with asmall tail-vane, L.

The operation of my improved governor is IOO as follows: The vane Gbeing in horizontal position normally, will so remain until the forre orpressure ot the wind against the t'aceof the small vane h' tilts thevane Gr, thus presenting 5 the full face of the latter (more or less)for a short time to the pressure of the wind, thereby causing (throughbar E) the head B to revolve, and prerenting the edge of the wheelto'the force of the wind. The instantthc wheel is turned the pressure ofthe wind is lessened on the vane G. The weight h causes the vane toresume its normal position. This operation automatically takes placewhenever the force of the wind overbalances the weight h, by adjnstingwhich it will be plainly seen the wieel may be supplied with any desiredpressure of wind, thus maintaining a nearly unil'orm rate of speed.

It, will be seen that thc vane Gr, pivoted iu zo loose bearings, asdescribed, will revolvc easily 0 end, substantially as described.

2. In a wind-engine, a main or governor vane, Gr, pivoted to theoutwardly-cxtcuding arm F, and provided upon its under side with aprojecting arm, H, and adjustable weight h, whereby it retains normallya horizontal position, in combination with an upwardly-projecting arm,11', having a vane, L', attached thereto, and operating to present theface of the vane G to the wind when the pressure upon the vaneoverbalances the adjustable weight, substantially as described.

Bi In a wind-engine, the limiting-stop f' of the arm F, in combinationwith the stop 1 upon the under side ot' the vane Gr, whereby thelatteris limited to a quartenturn upon its'axis, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a wind-engine,t11e barE,provided with the standard J, lever K, andcords or chains k and Id, whereby the vane Gr may be kept from thehorizontal plane, and whereby it may be revolved, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a wind-engine, the pivoted main vane G provided with projectingarm H, having weight h, and arm H', having vane h', in combination withthe bar E and revolving, head B, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

6. The combination of the vane G, provided with projecting aims H andH', weighth, small vane h', and stops If', and pivoted to the projectingarm F of the bar E, with the standard J, lever K, and cords kk',substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I attix my signature in presence of two witnesses.A

ALEXANDER THOMSON. Witnesses:

M. J. UuossMAN, l). A. NEAL.

